A recently published report, “FarmNext: Giving Voice to the Next Generation of Food Producers,” summarizes a listening tour conducted at land grant universities across the country, July through September 2015. The tour culminated in February 2016 with a national youth summit in Washington D.C., bringing together young farmers, senior leaders, policymakers and thought leaders.
The listening tour was conducted to hear directly from agriculture students and young farmers, exploring cultural trends shaping the future of agriculture and assessing the views and motivation of young adults in and entering agriculture.
Project organizers aimed to create a platform to help elevate the voice of young farmers at a time when farming, technology and the source of food is increasingly in the spotlight. They also sought to determine if education and other programs are aligned with the industry’s challenges and opportunities.
FarmNext was launched in 2015 as a joint initiative between YI Advisors, the consulting arm of the national youth organization Young Invincibles, and national marketing firm Global Prairie. Financial sponsors included DuPont Pioneer, CHS Inc. and the American Seed Trade Association, with additional support from nearly 25 other companies and organizations.
Demographic, cultural challenges
The agriculture industry is changing, and poised for even greater change. According to research cited in the report, about one-quarter of primary U.S. farm operators will retire between 2012 and 2030. Over the next 20 years, nearly half of U.S. farmland will change hands.
That historic demographic transition is occurring in a cultural environment populated by a millennial generation (ages 18 to 34) deeply polarized around the topics of food and food production – organic versus conventional, rural versus urban and technology versus tradition.
The good news: Those challenges create opportunities. Citing median income and career opportunities, Young Invincibles recently named “agriculture and food scientist” as one of the “best jobs for millennials.”
Report highlights
The summary report highlighted issues and implications of a changing culture surrounding agriculture. Among the findings:
• The general public fundamentally misunderstands farming’s challenges and realities. Young farmers face a “Jekyll and Hyde” perception by the public, seen as either the embodiment of American values and heritage, or the perversion of it, bent on making a profit with no regard to the land, produce or animals.
• Most young farmers and students see themselves as technological leaders, excited about technological developments and their potential to improve yields, reduce risk and save money. However, they believe the public is unaware of the skills and competencies necessary for modern farming, leading to a tension between nostalgia and modern agriculture.
• Young farmers and agriculture students are inherently creative, solution-oriented and entrepreneurial. However, they said current support systems and programs – start-up incubators, venture capital – were not yet sufficient to capitalize on all opportunities. Many expressed positive reactions with state-based networks and programs connecting aspiring farmers with operators transitioning out of the business, especially programs offering mentoring, training and financial assistance.
• When it comes to higher education, students expressed frustrations in “disciplinary silo-ing,” feeling their programs do not offer enough cross-departmental education and training, and instead narrowly focus on a given discipline. Others expressed skepticism in a college’s ability to provide practical skills and experience, recommending more high-quality internships and apprenticeships.
• Agriculture students are optimistic about the promise of the agriculture industry, but are also pragmatic. Access to capital was cited as a major barrier to successfully entering the industry. Young and aspiring farmers are very concerned about broader economic sustainability and the cost of technology.
• Most agreed the farming community should and can play a better role in modernizing its public image through concerted media campaigns, utilizing social media and hosting community events. Those educational efforts must go beyond “facts” to include an emotional component.
Continuing the conversation
The paper’s authors recognized “the conversation has just started.”
“But at the end of the day, we feel confident that while the new generation of food producers faces unprecedented economic, social and technological challenges, they are also uniquely prepared to address them,” they concluded.
For more on the FarmNext initiative, to download a copy of the report and to join the conversation, visit the FarmNext website. FG
